Last Bit of Sewing for 2010

I finished the bonnet for my class. Isn't it the bonnet cute on my baby doll "Madeline Grace"? The baby doll is from Ashton Drake and she wears preemie clothes. I got her a few years ago. I can smock for her for years to come. Here's a close up of her dress and bonnet.

AS&E issue 69 "Mirror Image"



AS&E issue 79

And here's the embroidery on "Madeline's" blanket. It's from Inspirations Baby.  I used rayon floss for the word "baby" and on the rest of the embroidery I used silk floss. The blanket is from a tone on tone flannel and edges finished with crepe back satin, which was a bear to do on the bias.  I've made this blanket a couple of times and will probably make it many more times.

And for everyone who is going to do my smock along sessions. The first one will be posted Tuesday, January 25, 2011. I will be doing smocked socks. The project can be completed in an evening. So here's your shopping list if you will be participating:

1 pair dress socks (you can purchase socks with lace already attached if you want)
1 skein embroidery floss, your color choice
Milliner needles (Hancock Fabrics, Hobby Lobby do carry these)
Blue wash-out marker
1" acrylic ruler, like those used for quilting
2 ribbon roses or bows
Sewing thread to match the ribbon roses or bows
Optional: needle threader

The week of February 1, 8 I will doing a smocked bonnet. The same one that my baby doll is wearing above. I will post a shopping list next week. If you want to order a ready to smock bonnet go to Martha Pullen's website. She has them for about $10, which I think is a very affordable price.
I'll talk to everyone next week. Happy smocking everyone!

A Thank You From a Friend

A few posts ago I shared with everyone the dresses I made for a lady who comes into Hancock Fabrics where I work. As a thank you, she was very thoughtful and made me these padded hangers on her embroidery machine. She tried to insist that the dresses I smocked for her granddaughters were better than these beautiful hangers. And I insisted that the hangers were just as wonerful. I think we mock argued for a few minutes. I love, love, love these! I'd like to say "thank you" to a soul sister, Leola. You're great!

Here are some baby socks I smocked for my one of me classes I'm doing in February. I still need to add the lace and a bow. For anyone who wants a quick and easy gift idea, this is definitely it! I timed myself to see how long it would take to smock, only 1 1/2 hours. Not bad at all.

New Project. I found this print at a local quilt shop last week. Isn't it pretty? I love it. And like anyone who is creative (everyone reading this post is creative), I'm going to change a few things on the dress. I usually can't leave well enough alone. But that's the great thing about sewing, the sky's the limit or maybe it's the budget.
The smock plate is from Sew Beautiful, issue 133, entitled "Peppermint Sprinkles" by the very talented Janet Gilbert. Love to meet her someday. The dress pattern is "Pascale" from issue 114 of Sew Beautiful. I think the dress I'm making needs to have beads along the sleeves like I did for one of the dresses I entered into the fair last summer. I'm happy I can borrow a petal sleeve from AS&E. Now to go iron my dress fabric, get it pleated and start smocking.
All my best to you creative ladies out there in blogland. Happy smocking!

The Love of a Friend

Here's another dress for little sis of another dress I resently finished. The smock plate is from Gail Doane's book Sew Cute Couture. Doesn't she just have the greatest designs. Anyway, I can't remember what pattern I used for the rest of the dress, just something from one of the issues of AS&E. I made a size 2.
My friend, Jerri, is moved back to Boise and we've worked together a couple of times. Yeah! I just love her to death. We went to lunch today and got to spend some time just chatting. Even though we now work together again, we have 7 years to make up for not being able to chat whenever we pleased. Being 1000's of miles from each other sure puts a cramp in your style. Email and phones do help loads, but it's just not the same as visiting face to face with one of your "bestest" friends. And we only live about 6 blocks from each other. I think we are kindred spirits. So I think I will dedicate this blog post to my friend Jerri! I love you tons my friend.
Happy smocking girls!

For Those Without Snow

Here's some snow for all you girls who don't have snow in your part of the country. I would gladly give it all to you. As you can tell by the first pic, the cat is the only one in my house who wants to go outside in the snow. You can see her cute little paw prints. The other pic is of my little car. The roads are not so nice to drive on.
My favorite season is spring with all the beautiful flowers, can't wait for us to get new fabrics in at Hancock's! So I am counting down the days until then and enduring the snow til then.

In the meantime, I'm still working on the samples for my classes I doing in the spring. I've finally finished the "Indiana" bishop. Isn't it just the most darling dress?! I'm so pleased with how this dress turned out. Time to get started on a bonnet for class.
Happy smocking everyone!

First Snow of Winter

Brrrr! It has snowed most of the day here in Boise. Unlike some people I'm NOT a fan of winter, but I have to go thru it to get to my favorite season . . . . Spring! I'm not one for temperature extremes, hot or cold. We are supposed to be getting more snow tomorrow with 30 mph winds. In another month and a few days we will be setting out new spring fabrics at Hancocks. Enough about the weather, I'm sure to have more than I want to talk about over the next couple months. On to something better like . . . . smocking!
I've finished up the hem to my bishop for my class and will soon need to finish the neck binding. Alas the busy purchasing season is upon most people and we are sky high in fleece at the store! Good for the paycheck, but very bad for time smocking or sewing.
I'm going to need to purchase the fabric for my American Girl dress soon. It won't be difficul to stitch up this dress. It has no smocking, but has holiday written all over it! Just what every girl needs. If any get the catalog or look at the AG site, it's the red dress with the hat. And my friend's daughter, Kitty (short for Catherine) will be darling in it! Though like the past couple of dresses I've done for her, I'm going to have to rework a pattern a little to get it to look like the catalog dress.
Okay everyone, here's to all girls and their dollies! Happy stitching everyone!

Bishop For My Class

The past few days I've been smocking the sample bishop I'm going to use for one of my classes next spring. I've got all the smocking and embroidery done. I've been keeping track on how many hours it takes for each part. That will let me better assess how many sessions I think students will need. I've told the girls in my chat group I will posting lots of pics for a smock-a-long if they are so inclined. It will also help my students for when they are not in class and they want a little help. There are some who are nervous and just need a little extra "you can do it" kind of help. Which I'm great with. I say that they just need a little emotional support. Don't we all sometimes?
Anyway, I think everyone will love the finished product. I certainly am happy with the smocking and embroidery! The smock plate is "Indiana" from AS&E issue 92. I used batiste.
I can't wait for 93 to come out. The cover dress looks to be right up my alley. It's pink of course! Just my kind of thing.
My friend, Jerri, who has lived in Paducah, KY for the past about 7 yrs. is packing a uhaul and going to be moved back here to Boise next week! She also is going to start working at Hancocks again with me. It's great when you love the people you get to work with. All the girls I work with who've met her just adore Jerri. They can't wait for her to work with us. She's one of those ladies who you feel like you've known all your life after being around them for a short while.
Okay girls, I'm going to sew. I was going to sew on my bishop, but I want to get the dress done from two posts ago finished. I think the two girls will be getting xmas presents with the two dresses I'm sending out.
Happy smocking everyone!

Gonna Teach Classes

Sorry no pics this time. Haven't done much in the way of smocking or sewing. But I have done some planning on the classes I'm going to teach. I'll start with smocked socks, a bonnet class and a bishop. As this is not by any means smocking country in Idaho, I'm not going to have any students learn how to pleat, just the smocking and some embroidery.
For the bishop classs demo dress, I just finished getting a bishop ready to smock. I think I will do something similar to "Indiana" from AS&E issue 92, it's latest issue. Even though I love the double needle pintucks, I'm thinking about changing that to some shadow embroidery instead. Haven't decided exactly what the finished gown will look like. There are no rosebuds in the smocking, so I'm playing around with the idea of adding them.  I picked white batiste and will do the smocking in white with pink roses. I've just got to have my pink!
Since I want to start with classes in late February, I need to get my samples done for display. I think the finishing on a bishop is easy enough for a beginner to learn. The hem is a tucked hem. And I think I will do french side seams. Usually I just finish the sides on my serger, but I think french seams is a good "know how" for any sewer.
I have a close friend, Jerri,who had moved to Paducah, KY about 7 yrs ago. Well, she will be moving back right before Thanksgiving. Something to be very thankful for. She is an amazing quilter! I few years ago she won "Best of Show" in the St. Judes' quilt contest. Well, anyway, I love to brag on her and now Jerri has a grandbaby for me to lavish smocked clothes on.
Okay, I need to get smocking on this dress. Happy smocking girls!